8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934





          DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): MAY 7, 2004
                                                            -----------




                      FIRST CITIZENS BANCORPORATION, INC.
             -------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          SOUTH CAROLINA             0-11172              57-0738665
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
   (State or other jurisdiction    (Commission          (IRS Employer
         of incorporation)         File Number)       Identification No.)

                1225 LADY STREET
             COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA                     29201
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
       (Address of principal executive offices)         (Zip Code)


   REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE:     (803) 733-3456
                                                      ------------------------



ITEM  9.     REGULATION  FD  DISCLOSURE

     On May 7, 2004, Registrant announced that it has completed the private
placement of $50 million aggregate liquidation amount of floating rate trust
preferred securities issued by its newly formed subsidiary, FCB/SC Capital Trust
II (the "Trust").

The following exhibit is being filed with this Report:

EXHIBIT NO.                        EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
- -----------    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    99         Copy of press release dated May 7, 2004



                  DISCLOSURES ABOUT FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

     The  following  discussion  may  contain  statements  that  could be deemed
forward-looking  statements  within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange  Act  of  1934  and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which
statements  are  inherently  subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or
beliefs  about  future  events  or  results  or  otherwise are not statements of
historical  fact.  Such  statements  are  often  characterized by the use of the
qualifying  words  (and  their  derivatives)  such  as  "expect,"  "believe,"
"estimate,"  "plan,"  "project,"  "anticipate,"  or  other statements concerning
opinions  or judgments of Bancorporation and its management about future events.
Factors  that  could  influence  the accuracy of such forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of
Bancorporation's  customers,  competition,  deposit  attrition,  actions  of
government  regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic
conditions.


                                        2

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  Registrant  has  duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by
the  undersigned  thereunto  duly  authorized.


                                       FIRST CITIZENS BANCORPORATION, INC.
                                                  (Registrant)



DATE:  May 7, 2004                     BY:           /s/  Craig L. Nix
                                          ----------------------------------
                                                     Craig L. Nix
                                                     Chief Financial Officer


                                        3

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


               99     Copy of press release dated May 7, 2004

EX-99

                                                                      EXHIBIT 99


          FIRST CITIZENS COMPLETES PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF $50 MILLION OF
                           TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES


COLUMBIA, S.C., May 7, 2004 - First Citizens Bancorporation, Inc.
("Bancorporation") announced today that it has completed the private placement
of $50 million aggregate liquidation amount of floating rate trust preferred
securities issued by its newly formed subsidiary, FCB/SC Capital Trust II (the
"Trust").  The Trust is an unconsolidated statutory trust formed by
Bancorporation for purposes of the transaction.

The securities provide for quarterly distributions at a floating rate equal to
the U.S. dollar three-month LIBOR plus 2.25%.  The rate will be reset quarterly.
Beginning on June 15, 2009, Bancorporation, upon regulatory clearance, has the
right to redeem all or part of the securities at a redemption price of 100% of
their liquidation amount plus any accrued but unpaid distributions.  The
securities will mature on June 15, 2034.

The securities were sold under an exemption from registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and they have not
been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws.  They may
not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the
requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an
available exemption from those registration requirements.

The Trust has used the proceeds from the sale of its preferred securities to
purchase a like principal amount of floating rate junior subordinated deferrable
interest debentures issued by Bancorporation.  Bancorporation intends to use the
proceeds from this transaction primarily to infuse capital into its bank
subsidiary, First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc., to finance the bank's
new headquarters building in Columbia, South Carolina.  Construction on that
building is expected to begin during June 2004.

This press release is issued pursuant to Rule 135c under the Securities Act and
will not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
of these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state
in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities law of any state.

The discussions included in this press release may contain forward looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995,
including Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933.  Those statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ
materially.  For the purposes of these discussions, any statements that are not
statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward looking statements.
Those statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words such as
"expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "plans," "projects," or other
statements concerning opinions or judgments of Bancorporation and its management
about future events.  The accuracy of such forward looking statements could be
affected by such factors as, including but not limited to, the financial success
or changing conditions or strategies of Bancorporation's customers or vendors,
fluctuations in interest rates, actions of government regulators, the
availability of capital and personnel or general economic conditions.